Away From Me
by momentary-ecstasy
Summary: A short angsty fic about the relationship between Cameron and Thirteen.


I don't own House or the characters.

This is really angsty for me. It was inspired by "What Sarah Said" by Death Cab for Cutie.

* * *

Cameron sighed looking down at Thirteen sleeping in the hospital bed. She'd been getting paler as hours went by. She glanced behind her to see Kutner, Taub, Cuddy, Wilson, and even House watching Thirteen.

Just when she thought there were no more tears, she felt some more well up in her eyes and silently spill over, down her cheek. This wasn't fair. Thirteen was so young.

_Cameron was practically running down the hallway in the hospital. She was really late for a meeting. She glanced at her watch at the wrong time and nearly plowed someone over. She managed to grab the lab-coat covered arms of Remy "Thirteen" Hadley before she fell backwards._

_"I'm so sorry," Cameron said, a little jumpy._

_Thirteen smiled sweetly, "It's okay."_

_Cameron was a little stunned and forgot her hands were still on Thirteen's arms. Thirteen's eyes held her in place. The blue of her eyes looked strangely familiar._

_Suddenly, Cameron remembered she was still holding onto Thirteen. She immediately dropped her hands, "Um…sorry again."_

_Thirteen chuckled, "It's okay."_

_Cameron started walking again, but turned around to watch the younger doctor walk off. She shook her head and started walking faster. Muttering to herself "I'm going to be so late."_

The nurse walked in and looked at the monitors, "Her heart is doing fine and…." She trailed off, "I guess I don't have to tell any of you that."

"It's okay," Cameron managed get out a response, "Thank you."

The nurse nods and walks out.

_"Do you wanna go get some coffee?" Thirteen asked Cameron._

_"I'm engaged," Cameron answered a little too quickly for her own taste._

_Thirteen smiled, "It's not a date. Just coffee. I can do a lot better on a date than just coffee."_

_"Oh, well…sorry," Cameron sighed, "It's been a long day."_

_"I understand," Thirteen nodded._

_"So…um coffee?" Cameron asked._

_"Okay," Thirteen nonchalantly led the way out the door._

_They sat in the coffee shop talking for hours until Cameron looked at her watch, "Oh my god. It's almost three in the morning."_

_Thirteen smiled, "I guess we should get you home before your parents find out."_

_Cameron chuckled and they walked out of the coffee shop together._

_"I had fun," Cameron said to Thirteen when they reached the sidewalk corner where they were supposed to part ways._

_"Me too," Thirteen put her hands in her pockets, "Thank you for joining me."_

_Cameron saw Thirteen's eyes twinkle as she shyly looked at the sidewalk under her feet. Cameron thought it was one of the most adorable things she ever saw._

_Before she could stop herself, she had Thirteen enveloped in a hug. Thirteen's smell and feel washed over her and she melted._

Kutner timidly stepped up to Cameron, "Do you want something to eat or drink or anything?"

Cameron gently smiled, "No, but thank you anyway."

Cuddy stepped toward Cameron and place a hand on her shoulder, "I'll be in my office if you need me."

"Thank you," Cameron told her sincerely.

Cuddy gently squeezed Cameron's shoulder before retreating to her office.

Taub and Kutner quietly slipped out the door.

Cameron took Thirteen's hand and stroked Thirteen's knuckles with her thumb. "I love you," she whispered.

Wilson picked up Thirteen's chart. "Her fever's gone down."

Cameron nodded, "She's fighting it."

"I'm a…I'm gonna go," House said and hobbled out.

Cameron watched him leave then looked at Wilson.

Wilson offered a gentle smile, "He's uncomfortable in situations where he cares."

Cameron nodded and turned back to Thirteen. She sat in the nearest chair and laid her head next to their joined hands. She delicately brought Thirteen's knuckles to her lips and kissed them.

_Cameron kicked the ground at her feet._

_"We don't have to go if you don't want to," Thirteen offered, "You only broke off your engagement a week ago."_

_"I want to," Cameron answered._

_"Okay," Thirteen opened the door to the restaurant and followed Cameron inside._

_"What do you order on your first date with a girl?" Cameron tried a joke to alleviate her nervousness._

_"I believe Fettuccini is the standard," Thirteen joked back._

_All the tension in Cameron's body left and they settled into an easy conversation._

_By the end of dinner, Cameron was giddy and smiling like an idiot. _

_They walked out of the restaurant hand in hand down the street where they parked their cars._

_"Thanks for dinner," Cameron smiled._

_"It was my pleasure," Thirteen answered._

_Cameron stepped in front of Thirteen and turned around. She quietly studied Thirteen before slowly leaning in for a goodnight kiss. Thirteen's lips were so soft and so warm. _

_When Cameron pulled away, she saw Thirteen had a small smile across her lips. _

_Cameron smiled back, "Goodnight Remy."_

_"Goodnight Allison," Thirteen replied as they parted ways._

Cameron felt a finger stroke her jaw line. She opened her eyes to see Thirteen was awake. "Hey sweetheart."

"Hi," Thirteen replied turning her head.

"How do you feel?" Cameron asked.

Thirteen took a deep breath, "I don't know. It's pneumonia right?"

Cameron nodded.

Thirteen coughed a little before settling back down. She looked at Wilson and smiled, "Hi."

"Hi," he smiled back.

Thirteen picked up a tissue by the bed and covered her mouth as she coughed. When she pulled the tissue away there was a few spots of blood on it.

Cameron moved to the edge of the bed and stroked Thirteen's hair, "I'm sorry."

"For what?" Thirteen asked raising an eyebrow.

"For this," Cameron looked around the room.

Thirteen smiled sweetly, "It's not your fault."

"I know…" Cameron sighed, playing with Thirteen's hair, "I just wish there was more I could do."

After a labored breath, Thirteen took Cameron's hand and brought it to her lips, "It's gonna be okay."

Cameron's eyes teared up. She should be the one reassuring Thirteen, not the other way around.

_"So….do you wanna come up?" Cameron asked._

_Thirteen arced an eyebrow, "Are you sure?"_

_Cameron smiled and a kissed Thirteen, gently biting her bottom lip. When she pulled back she smiled seductively, "Oh yeah."_

_Thirteen giggled, "Alright."_

_As soon as the door to Cameron's apartment closed behind them, Thirteen felt her back hit it. It took her a second to realize to the force of Cameron's kiss had knocked her backwards. She didn't mind being pinned to the door that way._

_Cameron's hands moved under her shirt and around to the small of her back pulled her to Cameron's body, but keeping her against the door. Cameron pulled away for a brief moment while pulling Thirteen's shirt over her head._

_Once the shirt was on the ground, Cameron started kissing and nibbling on Thirteen's neck. She smirked against Thirteen's neck when a moan escaped Thirteen's lips._

_"Allison," Thirteen breathed._

_"Hmm?" Cameron said without breaking the contact between her lips and Thirteen's skin._

_"Bed?" Thirteen felt that her knees would give out at any second and moving to a horizontal surface would be a wise thing to do._

_Cameron pulled away completely and walked backwards toward the bedroom holding Thirteen's hands. There were a few kisses between the door and the bed, but when they got to the bed, Thirteen decided to match Cameron's fierceness by gently pushing her back on the bed._

_Cameron smiled as Thirteen crawled on top of her and started kissing her while deftly unbuttoning her pants with one hand._

_Thirteen paused when Cameron's pants were undone and looking into Cameron's eyes, asking silent permission._

_Cameron smiled and kissed Thirteen answering her silent question._

"Can you…." Thirteen looked up at Cameron, "Hold me?"

Cameron glanced up at Wilson who nodded, "I'll go let the nurses know to leave you two alone for a while."

"Thanks," Cameron told Wilson then gently laid next to Thirteen. She wrapped her arms around her lover and felt Thirteen's head rest on her shoulder. Thirteen's fever was evident even through Cameron's shirt.

Thirteen shivered. Cameron couldn't really tell if it was a tremor from the Huntington's or chills from the fever, but at this point it didn't really matter.

_Cameron traced Thirteen's bare spine with her fingers. She loved the feel of Thirteen's skin. It was still early in the morning so the light coming through the window was still faint._

_"I love you," Cameron whispered._

_"Hmm?" Thirteen groaned and rolled over toward Cameron._

_"I love you," Cameron repeated._

_Thirteen's eyes opened and raised an eyebrow, "Really?"_

_"You ask like you don't believe it," Cameron propped her head up with her elbow._

_"I just…" Thirteen paused, "Never expected it."_

_"Never expected me to say it or never expected me to fall in love with you?" Cameron asked twirling Thirteen's hair around her finger._

_"Never expected you to fall in love with me," Thirteen smiled and rested her head on Cameron's stomach, "And I never expected to fall in love with you."_

"Who's feeding the dog?" Thirteen asked weakly.

Cameron smiled, "The little boy next door. You don't need to worry about the dog right now."

Thirteen cuddled deeper into Cameron, "I can't help it."

"I know," Cameron kissed the top of Thirteen's head.

Thirteen sighed, "I love you."

"I love you too," Cameron whispered.

Thirteen looked up and saw tears in Cameron's eyes, "Don't cry." She reached up and wiped the tear the slipped out.

"I'm sorry," Cameron rested her forehead on Thirteen's forehead, "I just don't like to see you in the hospital unless you're in a lab coat."

Thirteen smiled gently, "Don't worry. I don't like being here unless I'm in a lab coat."

_The sun shone down on the group of people gathered outside the Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital._

_Cuddy walked up onto a small stage and stepped up to a microphone, "I'm proud to be here at the dedication of the newest addition to the Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital. A state of the art research department building generously donated by the Cameron-Hadley Huntington's Research Foundation._

_Cameron took Thirteen's hand while they stood by the side of the stage. She gently squeezed it and was rewarded with a small smile from Thirteen. She'd come to terms with her disease and was glad Cameron still accepted her. Together they decided to try to help as many people with this disease as possible._

Cameron's pager went off while they were laying down. She pulled it off of her pager and looked at it.

She sighed and picked up the phone next to the bed without getting out of the bed. She dialed a number and put the phone to her ear while Thirteen watched her.

"This is Dr. Cameron," Cameron told the person on the phone, "You paged me?….yeah…where's Dr. Gannet?…" She sighed and looked at Thirteen.

"Go," Thirteen told her, "I'll be here when you get back."

"I'll be right there," Cameron said and then hung up. She got out of the bed and looked down at Thirteen. She leaned down, smoother out Thirteen's hair and kissed her, "I'll be right back."

"Take your time," Thirteen scooted into the warm spot left by Cameron.

Cameron took one last look and walked out.

Wilson walked in after Cameron left.

"How do you feel?" Wilson asked.

Thirteen shrugged, "As well as one can feel with pneumonia."

Wilson smiled gently, "Touché." He checked her monitors.

"Can you send House in here?" Thirteen asked.

Wilson raised an eyebrow, "Did someone increase your drip?"

Thirteen smiled, "No. I just want to talk to him."

"Okay," Wilson nodded and walked out.

House hobbled in a few minutes later, "You wanted to see me?"

Thirteen nodded and sat up as best she could, "We both know the outlook for me isn't great. I need a favor for you."

"You want me to rent you a convertible and have Cameron drive you to the Grand Canyon?" House asked.

Thirteen shook her head with a small smile, "No. If something happens to me, I want you to make sure Ally is okay."

House raised an eyebrow, "Okay like how?"

"Like that she doesn't drown herself in work or that she doesn't just lay around all day," Thirteen told him, "I don't think either of those will happen, but I have no idea."

"Why are you asking me?" House asked.

"Because you care about her," Thirteen answered, "And you're the only one mean enough to force her out of bed."

House paused and studied Thirteen. Finally he nodded, "Okay."

"Thanks," Thirteen told him.

House nodded again and walked out.

_Cameron looking into the microscope and readjusted her voice recorder. "Omega-3 test A43 shows…little improvement" She sighed and turned off the recorder._

_There was a crash on the other end of the lab._

_Cameron dropped what she was doing and ran to the other end of the lab. Thirteen was staring down at a broken beaker. Cameron's eyes traveled up Thirteen's body to make sure she was okay. Her eyes stopped and her heart dropped when she saw Thirteen's hand shaking uncontrollably._

_She met Thirteen's eyes and saw tears in the younger doctor's eyes. Cameron walked over and wrapped her arms around Thirteen who completely broke down. "I can't-I..."_

_"It's going to be okay," Cameron assured her trying to assure herself as well while holding Thirteen's shaking body, "C'mon let's go home."_

When Cameron walked back into Thirteen's room, Thirteen was out of bed and sitting by the window looking out over the Princeton campus.

Thirteen felt two familiar hands on her shoulders. She leaned back on Cameron and smiled.

"Are you okay?" Cameron asked.

Thirteen shrugged, "I guess."

Cameron saw spots of blood on the tissue Thirteen was holding. Cameron's felt her chest tighten. She couldn't manage to get any words past her lips.

Thirteen lifted the oxygen mask to her mouth again. She started having trouble breathing a few hours ago.

Cameron sat vigilantly at her side and a few other doctors came in to check on her occasionally.

Thirteen took a long breath in the oxygen mask and took it away, "I…I love you."

Cameron's eyebrows furrowed, "I love you too."

"I just wanted to make sure you know," Thirteen said and put the oxygen mask back.

Tears jumped to Cameron's eyes, "You'll be okay." She was trying to calm herself down more than Thirteen who was calmly laying in the bed.

Thirteen was silent and took Cameron's hand, softly stroking her knuckles with her thumb.

Cameron hated that Thirteen was the one comforting her when she should be the one doing the comforting. She laid her head on Thirteen's stomach and listened to her long labored breaths while Thirteen stroked her hair.

_Cameron wouldn't stop the tears from pouring out of her eyes. Even in her sleep Thirteen was still having tremors. They had woken Cameron , but she didn't mind. She just wrapped her arms around Thirteen and kissed her forehead._

_The tremors subsided a few minutes later and Thirteen snuggled deeper in Cameron's arms. Cameron smiled against Thirteen's skin and kissed her again._ _"I love you."_

"Charge them again," Cameron told Kutner while holding the paddle of the defibrillator over Thirteen's motionless body.

"But you've already done it five times," Kutner told her.

"Charge them again," Cameron said again.

Kutner did as he was told, "Charging."

"Clear," Cameron said and shocked Thirteen again.

There was nothing.

"Charge it again," Cameron told Kutner with tears in her eyes.

Cuddy walked over and placed a hand on Cameron's arm, "She's gone."

Cameron was able to compose herself long enough to get out, "Time of death…3:26 AM." After that she disintegrated into tears. House walked up to her and wrapped his arms around her with tears in his own eyes.

Cameron leaned into him without taking her eyes off of Thirteen's peaceful face or letting go of her still warm hand.

_Love is watching someone die._


End file.
